Just One Republican On House Rules Panel Votes To Release Epstein Files

House Republicans blocked a Democratic-backed effort late Monday evening to require the Department of Justice to release all records related to the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

The House Rules Committee voted 5 to 7 to reject an amendment that would force Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish any “records or evidence” regarding the federal government’s prosecution and incarceration of Epstein. Just one House Republican, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, voted in favor of the amendment.

Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna, a populist with some admirers on the right, introduced the measure as a potential amendment to a procedural rule containing major crypto legislation and defense appropriations.

Some Republicans on the powerful committee argued the House Rules panel was not the right forum to debate releasing the Epstein files. However, most GOP lawmakers on the panel did not comment on the amendment before voting against it.

“I fail to see how that amendment is germane to this rule,” Republican Georgia Rep. Austin Scott, one of the GOP lawmakers who voted “no,” said during debate on Khanna’s measure.

Republican Reps. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Nicholas Langworthy of New York, Erin Houchin of Indiana, Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Brian Jack of Georgia also voted against requiring the Trump administration to release Epstein records.

Trump has urged his supporters to stop pressing for answers to unanswered questions related to Epstein following administration officials releasing